Low Tech: A Words of Wisdom Generator

[Andreas Fabis]

I use an Arduino microcontroller to turn run the whole thing. It's a really neat little piece of electronic awesome. You can program it using your computer and read and write signals on the interfaces that can turn things on and off or read input (like a closed switch when the coin falls).
I also need a 9 volt power supply to run the little motors (the Arduino only provides 5 volt and that isn't quite enough to get them spinning). So I use a relay array that is controlled by the chip board and turns the motors on and off.

Snip! Here goes nothing!

Today's goal is reached: a working (super-ugly) prototype. Next will be the coin slot, the sound chip and a few blinking light for decor.

And this is my extremely well organized workbench.

[happywaffle]

Good Lord, man. That's just ridiculous.

Go post this on http://www.reddit.com/r/somethingimade to share with the world of DIYers.

[poltergasm]

I adored you before, Andreas. Now I just stand in awe. Slow clap, slow clap.

[mitchmills]

Holy crap but that's awesome!

I've started saving up quarters.

[Andreas Fabis]

Today I connected all the parts and programmed the Arduino micro-controller. The cabling looks horrible right now, but I wanted to make sure it works, before I start with the more permanent layout.
Right now it works like this: when you throw in a quarter, a circuit closes and the Arduino runs a loop where all it does is check for that to happen. Once that happens it sends a signal to each of the relays and activates each one of them for 1 second (plus a random time between 0 and one 1000 milliseconds to introduce some entropy), which starts the motors spinning. Then turns them off one after the other.
Once that is done, it waits 5 seconds (to make sure the rolls have all stopped spinning) and then activates the sound chip that has the "Ahh, yes yes yes yes yes!" wave file stored.
[youtube]http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1P5_334Loc[/youtube]

[hujhax]

I feel like I'm looking at footage from Bioshock Infinite. #whichistosayitsawesome



--
peter rogers @ home | http://hujhax.livejournal.com

If you play the accordion, you're usually the best accordion player anyone knows.
-- Daniel Handler

[Jon Bolden]

You have GOT to be kidding me. So so so awesome.

[smerlin]

Amazing!

[Andreas Fabis]

The moment of truth has come: I will disconnect everything and assemble it within the suitcase. I was a little too optimistic about fitting all the parts in, but I think I found a way to do it.

The main problem was the power supply, since I need a 9V AC and a 9V DC transformer to avoid having to use a bridge rectifier. After trying to fit it all in I might have had less problems with that. But now it all seems to work.

[Andreas Fabis]

I did some final soldering to connect all the cables and measured everything so there is enough slack when I open the suitcase. My main concern right now is that the vibrations will shake the cables loose...

I shortened all the cables so I wouldn't have excess wire spaghetti in the case and glued everything into place.

And now it's done. It pretty much works as it should. I still have to figure out a way to make the rolls stop at the right spot, which turns out to be more difficult than imagined.